Christian Practice

Should Christians tithe?

Christians agree that disciples should give generously, support gospel ministry, and care for people in need. They disagree over whether the Old Testament tithe remains a binding ten-per-cent requirement, continues as a wise covenantal principle rather than detailed law, or gives way in the new covenant to voluntary, proportional, sacrificial giving without a fixed percentage.

The question

Where the disagreement lies

The biblical tithe supported Levites, worship, festivals, and the poor within Israel’s covenant life. The New Testament affirms generous and planned giving but does not directly command churches to collect a universal ten per cent. The debate therefore turns on continuity between the covenants and on whether a numerical floor protects generosity or can become a substitute for whole-life stewardship.

Summary

This position traces tithing through Abraham, Jacob, the Mosaic law, the prophets, and Jesus’ affirmation of tithing. It treats the tenth as a continuing minimum owed to God, normally directed through the church, while offerings begin beyond that baseline. Grace deepens generosity rather than abolishing a longstanding covenantal standard.

What this contributes

It gives believers and churches a clear, shared discipline, takes Old Testament economic commands seriously, and resists vague appeals to generosity that result in little practical support for ministry and the poor.

Question to keep in view

The view must demonstrate that pre-Mosaic examples establish a recurring command and explain which features of Israel’s several tithes transfer to the church under the new covenant.

TransparencySources, generation and reviewHuman review pending

AI generation record

System
OpenAI Codex AI assistant
Generated
19 August 2026
Review
Human review pending

The AI synthesized the content from the listed biblical, scholarly, and ecclesial sources. Associations describe broad affinities, not formal endorsements by every person or tradition represented.

  1. David A. Croteau, Ken Hemphill, Bobby Eklund, Reggie Kidd, and Gary North, Perspectives on Tithing: Four Views

    A B&H Academic comparison of the covenantal tithe, a continuing principle, and post-tithing new-covenant giving.